PHA/AHA Post Doctoral Fellowship Award Winner 2010

Swapnil Sonkusare, PhD

University of Vermont, Burlington“TRPV4 and pressure modulation of calcium signaling in vascular endothelium” Term: July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2012

Summary of Research Project:

1. What is the major problem being addressed by this study?Small arteries in the body constrict when the pressure inside them increases, in order to control the blood flow to target organs. However, excessive constriction of the small arteries can increase the blood pressure and reduce blood flow to target organs. We propose a novel pathway that regulates the constriction of small arteries to an increase in pressure. This pathway, when activated, dilates the arteries. This mechanism can be used to treat high blood pressure and disorders that are characterized by reduced blood flow to target organs.

2. What specific questions are you asking and how will you attempt to answer them? Using arteries from mice, we have discovered that when this regulatory pathway is activated using a drug it results in dilation of the small arteries. We propose that increase in pressure inside the arteries activates a protein on the inner wall of the artery, which then activates other components of the pathway to produce dilation of artery. We propose to study the mechanism that activates this protein, and also the pathway that produces dilation of the arteries following activation of this protein.

3. What is the long-term biomedical significance of your work, particularly as it pertains to the cardiovascular area? What major therapeutic advance(s) do you anticipate that it will lead to? For instance, new drug(s), a surgical technique/procedure, a diagnostic tool/test, a previously undetected risk factor, etc.

This study will help us understand a phenomena that helps us regulate the blood pressure and also the blood flow to target organs. The understanding of this regulatory pathway will result in several targets that can be activated to either lower the bloodpressure in hypertensive patients and to increase the blood flow to target organs in disorders such as stroke or diabetes.

Research Support

None.

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